Hockey's history has featured some great names over the years - from Cyclone Taylor to Fido Purpur to Tiger Williams to Yogi Svejkovsky. But the best name of all time has to go to "Rocket" Power!Hockey seems to have a fascination with Rockets - speed and explosiveness are common to both rockets and a few hockey players, most notably Maurice "Rocket" Richard and the "Russian Rocket" Pavel Bure. But long before these guys came along "Rocket" Power played.
Power played six years in the first decade of the 1900s. He joined the Quebec Bulldogs in 1903 as a defenseman. Power played on and off with Quebec until 1908. After his first pro season with Waterloo in the OPHL, Power rejoined Quebec switching mid season to the 1911-12 Canadiens. 1913 saw him back with Quebec when they won the Stanley Cup.
If you look on the Stanley Cup under the 1913 champions name, you'll notice Power's name is actually engraved as Rocket Power. Which makes you wonder what this guys real first name was.
Hockey legend will probably tell you that like Richard and Bure he was an explosive speedball. Not necessarily, however. He only scored 12 goals in 45 games, and there is no mention of a superior skating style like there is for other early year stars.
In fact, Rocket Power's real first name very possibly might have been Rocket - or more correctly Rockett. All sources indicate his first name did start with an R, but otherwise he was always called Rocket by the media.
In fact, Rocket Power's real first name very possibly might have been Rocket - or more correctly Rockett. All sources indicate his first name did start with an R, but otherwise he was always called Rocket by the media.
Fellow hockey researcher Joseph Nieforth believes in the theory of Rockett Power.
"The 'Rockett' name comes from his mother's maiden name. His brother, Charles "Chubby" Power, also mentions his brother's name being Rockett in relation to a forestry survey trip they took in 1917. From what I gather Rockett went into the family lumber business while Charles moved into politics. The sources for this information are the Canadian Parlamentary Guide and Charles Power's autobiography."
So there you have it. Hockey's first Rocket, or should I say Rockett.
"The 'Rockett' name comes from his mother's maiden name. His brother, Charles "Chubby" Power, also mentions his brother's name being Rockett in relation to a forestry survey trip they took in 1917. From what I gather Rockett went into the family lumber business while Charles moved into politics. The sources for this information are the Canadian Parlamentary Guide and Charles Power's autobiography."
So there you have it. Hockey's first Rocket, or should I say Rockett.
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